"The Conservatives yesterday vowed to reduce the number of private schools by offering them a route into the state system. A David Cameron government would create a new breed of state-funded independent school with freedom to vary the national curriculum as well as teachers' pay and conditions." – Daily Mail

"Schools that opt to leave the Local Authority umbrella will be free in virtually every other respect, says Gove. “They will not be bound by the national curriculum, they will be free to pay good teachers more, they will be free to hire their own architects and builders, free to choose their own IT, free to shape pay and conditions in interest of their staff.” But the government will continue to have control in one important respect: admissions. “They won’t be free to select by ability,” says Gove “They will have to be comprehensive.”" – Michael Gove is interviewed for City AM

"Dr Fox’s comments came as Conservatives also attacked Mr Brown’s visit to frontline troops, with former Tory prime minister Sir John Major claiming Mr Brown used the military as a ‘party political prop’.‘To use our soldiers as a cynically timed pre-election backdrop is profoundly unbecoming conduct for a prime minister,’ he said." – Metro | ITN report

As a result of Brown's malfeasance, men have died who ought to have lived – Bruce Anderson in The Independent

Chris Grayling embarrassed by questions about his future

"Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, was forced to admit that, unlike some of his colleagues, he had not been told by Mr Cameron that he would stay in his post if the Conservatives won the election. There has been speculation that Michael Gove, the shadow schools secretary who is close to Mr Cameron, could be given the job in a Tory government. Asked on Sky News why Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, had been guaranteed a job, when he had not, Mr Grayling insisted that the defence post was an important one, before looking embarrassed when it was pointed out that the Home Office was one of the great offices of state." – Telegraph

Liberal Democrats are willing to take seats in either a Tory or Labour Cabinet

"Until now, the Liberal Democrats had indicated that they would be unlikely to take part in a formal alliance with another party, suggesting that a hung parliament would result in a minority government. But in an apparent change of tack, Vince Cable, the deputy leader, said that he would even be willing to serve as a cabinet minister in an alliance government." – Telegraph

"I would have given my arm and leg to be part of a three-way leaders' debate" – Charles Kennedy talks to the BBC about the massive opportunity that election debates have given to the Liberal Democrats

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